Like this:

Outside of the NFL season, my favorite time of the year has come! Yeah yeah, I know the NBA is not all that exciting anymore. But hopefully, the next few days will bring us some excitement and new discussions. Without further ado, here are my picks:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Celtics vs. (8) Bulls: Going into this game, a lot of people are already counting the Bulls out, but I think otherwise. I personally think that the Celtics move the ball pretty well and have more of a fast paced game than the Bulls, who are their own worst enemy. The winner will depend on the sole play of Isaiah Thomas and Jimmy Butler. However, even with age, Wade and Rondo have the postseason experience that will be much needed against the surprising top team. Through it all, I think the Bulls are still riding on winning streak. My prediction: Bulls in 6.

(2) Cavaliers vs. (7) Pacers: This series does not need much talk about it. Cleveland has three All-Stars and has depth. Unfortunately, Paul George cannot win a series by himself. With all due respect, I look for Lance Stephenson to make multiple “what was he thinking” mistakes. When he is on, he is on. And when he is off, he is way off without a stop button. My prediction: Cavs in 5. If Paul George was surrounded by more talent, the outcome might be different.

(3) Raptors vs. (6) Bucks: The Raptors are considered a dangerous team with a back-court of DeRozan and Lowry. On the other side of the ball, the Bucks have a danger of their own…the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is one of the most dominant and unique players in the NBA. Sadly, it will be impossible for him to carry his team to the next round. I’m picking the Raptors in 5. However, if Serge Ibaka is the defender of his earlier years, Raptors in 4.

(4) Wizards vs. (5)Hawks: These two teams size up well against one another and will come down to the end. John Wall and the Wizards have played rather nice this season, as they should considering the team that they have. Dwight Howard and the Hawks defense will be the key to winning this series. This series will be a toss up and could go either way, but I’m taking the Wizards in 7.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Warriors vs. (8) Trail Blazers: Another series with little to say. Golden State has the best team in the league. I think Damian Lillard is a great player, and he has a nice lineup around here. However, injuries down low will make it tough from them. The Warriors lineup and bench play will outlast the Blazers. This series will be the only sweep in the first round. Warriors in 4.

(2) Spurs vs. (7) Grizzlies: Of course, no one is really excited about this match-up. The Grizzlies are still searching for a plan to get out of their own way. They need more younger players to give them that extra lift for advancing deep into the playoffs. Stopping Leonard will be the key to the Grizzlies at least getting one win out of this series. Spurs in 5.

(3) Rockets vs. (6) Thunder: The most interesting match-up this first round has to offer in my eyes. I look for this to be a very high scoring series with Westbrook and Harden both on a mission to continue making their case for MVP. Westbrook will need his teammates to step up in this situation as they face a good team. The team that plays the most defense this series will come out on top. I’m predicting the Rockets in 7.

(4) Clippers vs. (5) Jazz: With no distractions to place blame on this year, this series should be titled “Clippers End”. With the fourth seed, the Clippers have played nice ball this season, and it’s about time. The talent built around Paul and Griffin has only led to total disappointment each year that they didn’t make it to at least the NBA Finals. The lack of hard play by the team themselves, has been their reasoning for early exits and lead diminishing. Unfortunately, the Clippers fate has overshadowed the play of the Jazz and their capabilities to beat the Clippers this series. Due to this, the youth of the team, and being ranked one of the best defensive teams in the league, I’ll take the Jazz in 7. I just cannot take the Clippers serious myself given their history.

Thoughts and Opinions of A Female Sports Fan

Text Widget

This is a text widget. The Text Widget allows you to add text or HTML to your sidebar. You can use a text widget to display text, links, images, HTML, or a combination of these. Edit them in the Widget section of the Customizer.